SmartLipo™ Gives Your Body the Shape You Want

“Adiposity, lipodystrophy, or call them just plain fat deposits — genetics determines where the fat will fill in,” said Dr. Lively, a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and an associate member of the National Society of Cosmetic Physicians. “You might see these deposits in your brothers, sister, aunts, uncles or other relatives. They may manifest as saddlebags on your outer thighs, love handles, belly fat or a turkey neck.”

Although diet and exercise are necessary for everyone’s health, they won’t necessarily take care of these uninvited deposits.

“I’ve known several long-distance runners who are slim and fit. Yet despite their faithful exercise routine, they continue to carry these uncompromising deposits along for a 10K run or a 26.2-mile jaunt,” Dr. Lively said.

Many of us try to use our clothes to camouflage unwelcome lumps and bumps.

“The average person invests a lot of money on the clothes in their closet. But it stands to reason that any clothes are going to hang better and look better on a body with improved contours,” Dr. Lively commented.

Liposuction was developed by an ob/gyn, a general surgeon and a head and neck surgeon in the 1970s.  Dr. Lively uses a technique known as laser liposuction or SmartLipo™, an in-office liposuction procedure that’s been around since the late 1990s, that can help melt away that excess baggage.

In consultation with the patient, Dr. Lively discusses areas of concern, technique and probable outcomes. The area or areas to be treated are marked.

“Then, using a sterile technique, we infiltrate the fat deposit with a tumescent  anesthetic that numbs the region, hydrates the fat and constricts the blood vessels,” Dr. Lively said. “A triplex laser with three different wavelengths lyses, or melts, the fat cell membrane and liquefies the fat within. The liquefied fat is then suctioned out with small tubes known as canulas.”

The patient is alert and awake during the procedure and able to converse or listen to his or her iPod. Most report little or no discomfort. Although a pain reliever is routinely prescribed, most patients take very little after they get home, normally enough to help them relax and sleep through the night.

“One patient got up off the table and went to her son’s Little League baseball game after a full abdomen procedure,” Dr. Lively said. “Though this is not necessarily typical, most people go back to work in a couple of days with minimal bruising from the procedure.”

After the procedure, the laser liposuction, which uses heat, continues to contract the area allowing patients to see result for up to another four weeks.

An ob/gyn for 24 years, Dr. Lively said the SmartLipo™ procedure is much less complicated than some of the procedures he routinely performs in his practice.

“Cosmetic surgery complements my ob/gyn practice,” he said. “People are living longer, and looking better helps them to compete in the marketplace with younger people.

“It’s gratifying to see the before-and-after,” he added. “A lot of patients are even motivated to diet and exercise in order to continue with the good results they see from the procedure.”

Both men and women are eligible for the SmartLipo™ procedure.

In December 2011, Dr. Charles Lively was named as a Super Doctor in Texas Monthly magazine. Super Doctors identifies top doctors as selected by their peers and the independent research of Key Professional Media.

For more information or to schedule a free aesthetic consultation call 432-580-9168.